Samuel Beckett

Mr. Ratburn's two fish, named after the play's main characters

Samuel Beckett is an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet. His work has been referenced multiple times in the Arthur series:

• The name of the episode "Waiting to Go" references Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." It's plot is also basically the same: two characters are waiting endlessly for someone.
• In "Muffy's Art Attack," upon Ed Crosswire's decision to buy a kinetic sculpture, Machine with Wishbone, Mr. Ratburn notes that "it brings to mind the tragicomic works of Samuel Beckett, a tiny figure forever yoked to its burden of authority.
• Mr. Ratburn's two fish are named Vladimir and Estragon. These names are also the names of the main characters in "Waiting for Godot."

Trivia

• One of The main character "Vladimir" in "Waiting for Godot" is simliar to Vladimir Putin